Ohio State raises pay for college football assistants to more than $7 million

Compared to other schools among college football’s elite, Ohio State has been relatively restrained in its compensation of assistant coaches.

Ohio state defensive coordinator Greg Schiano runs on to the field before his team’s game against Rutgers.

Not anymore.

Two Buckeyes assistants are scheduled to make at least $1 million for the 2018 season, four at least $800,000 – and the 10-man staff is set to make a combined total of $7.06 million, according to figures announced by the school on Wednesday.

Among schools to have announced pay for their 10-man staffs for 2018 so far, Clemson recent unveiled a payroll totaling $6.585 million, including $2 million to defensive coordinator Brent Venables. LSU defensive coordinator Dave Aranda is scheduled to make $2.5 million in 2018.

Through the 2017 season, Ohio State never had paid an assistant coach more than $750,000 in annual base salary, according to data collected by USA TODAY Sports that dates from the 2009. Former defensive coordinator Luke Fickell had been paid that amount in 2012 and again in 2016.

Meanwhile, at other schools, assistant coaches’ total compensation regularly began surpassing $1 million. This past season, 15 assistant coaches made at least that amount, including three at Michigan, two at LSU and two at Alabama.

Schiano’s total tied him for 38th among FBS assistants.

In 2012, there were 11 college football coaches in the Football Bowl Subdivision making at least $750,000, according to USA TODAY Sports data. In 2018, Ohio State will have five.

Schiano is set to make $1.5 million. He was previously head coach for Rutgers and the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This past offseason, he was set to become Tennessee’s head coach. But the school backed out of the deal amid outcry among some Volunteers fans concerning Schiano’s time as an assistant Penn State, which put him there at the time of the Jerry Sandusky scandal.

Ohio State will be paying offensive coordinator Ryan Day $1 million in 2018; he had drawn interest from NFL teams. In 2017, Day made $400,000.

Newly hired assistant Alex Grinch, who had been Washington State’s defensive coordinator, will get $800,000 (he made $600,000 with the Cougars this past season). Incumbent assistant Kevin Wilson also will be paid $800,000 after making $650,000 this past season.